The Writing Life and the Joy it Gives
If You Are a Writer or Creative Person of Any Kind, Remember What is Inside Needs to Come Out to Fulfill Yourself
Learning the alphabet and how to write, set me free at a young age. When writing became a part of my being, it bestowed a special pleasure to me. Special feelings filled my soul with each new character that entered my mind. As they came to life on blank pieces of paper they took me to imaginary places, wore mythical costumes, and helped me chase impossible dreams. My illusions once written in pencil, turn into reality for a few hours.
Writing gave me all these things but as I grew older it also began to magnify the joy of making new worlds, giving my characters new problems to face and solve, expanding my horizons. My vocabulary increased with the necessity to say things in different ways. To my delight and enchantment, I discovered the right words moved my reader's emotions.
My awareness of the five senses became more pertinent. Using these things to describe a situation became a boon. My characters saw, felt, smelled, heard, and tasted their environment.
Learning from each book I read brought with it lessons that gave my writing new meaning, color, texture, and feeling both in my prose and poetry. It presented a challenge that gave me a need to make it all seem real. My readers had to relate not only to the content of the story and background, but I needed to make the characters come alive.
Ideas tumbled into my head from everywhere, as things stimulated my thought processes. Nothing escaped my eyes and thoughts from an old tennis shoe tossed into a ditch, to a woman waiting on bus dressed in a purple dress, brightly colored floral hat, and orange socks. No words can express how fascinated I became as each image turned into sustenance for a new story. Even today I carry a pad and pencil everywhere I go so I can jot thoughts and images that catch my eye.
I remember hearing in Sunday school about nomadic people that tended their animals. This prompted my first story. I about a shepherd and his flock of sheep. It was not a very good story but I was proud of it all the same. It was the start of an obsession with writing I still have to this day.
Gradually, as I grew as a writer I learned about banishing the use of E-prime, better English, and punctuation which is still my downfall. Handling such things as plot, premise, dialogue, scenes, character descriptions and point of view helped me to develop my style.
After many, many rejection slips and sometimes thinking I would never be a real writer, it finally happened. Someone accepted a short story, bought it, and published my work. I discovered the thing I loved doing so much could now be a paying proposition. What a bonus! I made just fifty dollars from my first published work, but to me it was as if the world knew I was finally there.
I have learned more from writing than anything else in my life. It has become my constant companion, teaching me so much about life along the way.
It has helped me face myself squarely, know what I am capable of, and helped me find my limitations. I am more sensitive to other people and their problems. I learned to accept that not everyone likes what I write or even likes me as a person. Although I try not to judge other people, writing has helped me to see that good and bad exists in all of us. It has taught me patience, perseverance, and most of all that we are after all, only human beings. I can not imagine living without the joy of writing.
If it gives you this pleasure, keep trying and don't give up because your goals can always be accomplished if you juts believe in yourself.
Published by robritt
A polio survivor, that tries to swim twice a week, lives with a fatal disease called Aplastic anemia, however believe we all need to live life to the fullest; no matter your age or condition. An author of t... View profile
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27 Comments
Post a CommentFirst I fell in love with reading. In junior high that was the big thing with my friends and I. Then someone came up with the idea of trying to write our own story. I tried and fell in love with writing. My friends gave up on the idea and I kept going. Now I couldn't picture a world without writing. It is the only true way I can express who I am.
Great article. Writers need to be reminded why they are doing this. Sometimes it is hard. But I agree that we never should give up on ourselves or our art.
I wrote my first story when I was eight, and my first poem when I was thirteen...music was always my first love...but, as the years went by. I slowly began to embrace my writing ...your story is so inspiring...and it encourages others to never give up on their dreams. You are very talented. .great work.
It always breaks my heart to hear stories like your SFaloon. A good teacher never squashes creativity, they only encourage it. I'm so glad you finally found that road to where you wanted to be.NEVER, and I mean never let anyone discourage the things you have in your heart and the creativity you find there. With out people following their dreams and desire we would not have all the wonderful things that we have today. Dreams often become reality when you pursue them.
I remember writing a short story in 4th grade and that huge feeling was IT. How I loved being able to string words together to create my own little worlds with people my heart could see. At 14 I got to high school and proudly told my newly assigned guidance counselor that I wanted to be a writer. Her answer, "No, we'll put you down for college courses to be a teacher." I thought she took everything away that day. My paved road ahead was completely torn away. It tooks years of side trips on little paths and dirt roads to find any confidence to show what was in my heart, seeds of creativity, frozen for a time but finally thawed out and sprouting. I deeply appreciate your article and the response from all who share their feelings too.
Wow, robritt - thank you for the inspirational story. I am always amazed at how other people have enormous life challenges compared to mine, and how people remain so strong and courageous through their challenges. It is a humbling lesson for all of us to learn - and it is wonderful that you can do that through your writing. Great article.
Charlie K you are right and you have no idea how it saved my life. I spent two years in a polio hospital wanting to go home to my babies at the time (one was only a few months old the other 18 months). They said I would never walk again but if it had not been for writing I would have lost my mind. I got home and raised my kids finally. It is the greatest therapy in the world even if you just keep a daily diary. The more one writes the more it does set you free. It is indeed a blessing in disguise.
You really described the need to write precisely. The more I write about the most painful things in my life, the more free I feel I become and the more joy I can find elsewhere.
Great writing, you have a gift. :)
Excellent piece! You are so right about this. Writers HAVE to get those words out. I think writing is great for stress relief as well, especially if you are naturally a writer, but it works for others as well. Anyhow, thanks for the inspiration. In addition to AC, I have a book out and do many other things. In this field of work, positive encouragement is always needed. I'm glad you didn't let the rejection slips hinder your path.
I shall look forward to reading P.V.'s prespective on this subject as well. If you havenm't read his article on Honoring your parents, you need to it is excellent.. Thnak you everyone for your wonderful opinions and how you too feel about writing. It makes me feel great to know everyone else feels pretty much as I do about the subject. Life is much richer when we observe it and take note of it in our minds and on paper.